The Dollhouse
by Talks too much
Summary: Miley Stewart and Nick Lucas have the perfect romance. One problem- his family doesn't approve. And now, Miley has seven days to convince Mrs. Lucas that she's the one for her son. What can go wrong in a week? Find out. Niley.
1. Prologue

The figure fixed her earpiece and stumbled onto the couch while simultaneously flipping through random papers. Her eyes spot checked a couple of facts and her hands flew towards the coffee cup that was placed on the table.

"Sup, manager?" the curly haired boy swaggered into the room. His guitar was slung over his shoulder and he was leaning against the door frame. The girl peered over at him and shook her head with annoyance.

"You're late."

"Sorry?" he chuckled. He placed his guitar on the couch and took a seat next to her, resting his feet on the table. His hands swiped the cup out of her grip and he took a long sip. He looked over at the brunette who was swept with irritation. "Come on, Mi, don't get too tensed up."

"Well, _Nick_, its kind of hard when my musician shows up an hour late to his own performance," she huffed. Nick smirked at her and leaned in.

"Do you want me to take care of some of that tension," he whispered into her ear. Their eyes met for a millisecond until the blue pair formed into a hard glare.

"Sometimes I wonder if you'll ever take me seriously," she sighed. She slumped back into the couch and ran her hand across her forehead. Exhaustion was creeping up on her. She had been planning this show for weeks and Nick missed sound check.

"Mi, its not like that," he replied. He shifted himself so he could be at a better angle.

"Its like our relationship messes with me being your manager," she argued. She crossed her arms and tilted her head, waiting for his reply.

"I think its the other way around," he smirked. He leaned in towards her and nipped at her neck. His arms found their way around her waist and he could feel her melt into his body.

"Not fair."

"Is too," he murmured against her skin. He tugged at her shirt and shifted her to lie down on the couch and proceeded to hover over her. He leaned in, giving her a small peck on the lips.

"You go on in..." Miley trailed her eyes towards the clock. "In ten minutes." She heard a groan escape from his lips as he nuzzled into the crook of her neck.

"That's enough for me to do a lot of things," he joked. He felt the rumble of laughter in Miley's chest and leaned his head back to get a full view of her.

"Come on, rock star," she tugged at his sleeve as they both rose up. She straightened out her pencil skirt and searched for her papers.

"I'm not a rock star yet,"

"But you will be," she pointed out. She stood up, but only to be pulled down again by a strong pair of arms. They rested against each other until Miley ventured out into a forbidden conversation. "Did you tell you parents about your music career yet?" She felt him tense up and turn silent. "Come on, Nick. They need to know sometime."

"Yeah, yeah..speaking of telling my parents," his eyes wandered across the room for some sort of distraction.

"Hmmm?"

"I told them about us, finally," he murmured. He felt the energy inside his girlfriend build up as a smile graced her features.

"Really?" Miley prodded. She looked at her counterpart and her forehead creased in worry. There was another part to the story. She moved her fingers toward his forearm and gently rubbed his skin, signaling him to go on.

"My mom doesn't approve." There was a moment of silence as Miley gulped in the information. "But I made a deal with her," Nick rushed in. "I was going to tell you after the concert..." he waited to see if she was still listening. "Mi," he tilted her chin up with his index finger. "I made a deal with her."

"What deal?" Her eyes were already brimmed with light tears. Nick's heart dropped as he saw this vulnerable side of her.

"I told her that she can't judge our relationship if she doesn't know you-," but Nick was cut short. Miley flew up and trudged towards the door.

"I may not be as well off as your family but that gives her _no_ right to judge me like that," Miley hissed. Nick sprinted towards her as she started opening the door. He made it just into time as he slammed the door shut, preventing her to leave.

"I know," he soothed. He circled his arms around her and tried to calm down the emotional girl. "Don't worry. I have a plan."

"What plan?" she asked sarcastically.

"I told her that you would come live with us for a week-," Nick was unable to finish the sentence.

"You what?" Miley shrieked. Her eyes widened as she took in his words. "Nick, I can't just live with your family for a week when I've never met them."

"Just hold on," Nick placed his hands on her shoulders as she started to regulate her breathing. He looked up at the clock. He only had a couple of more minutes left until he had to go on stage. "I told her that if she wasn't blown away with you by the end of the week then she has the right to be against this."

"Nick! I'm supposed to impress your mom in a week?"

"Yes?" his idea suddenly sounded foolish. He took a sharp intake of air and looked at Miley straight in the eyes. "Trust me. If she isn't dazzled by you even in the first five minutes, she's blind."

"What if she doesn't like me in the end?" she looked up at him softly. Her heart was pounding. She knew Nick loved his family and would never leave them. But would he leave them for her?

"Its not going to happen," he replied quickly. He pressed his soft lips on her smooth skin and held her tightly.

"How are you so damn sure?"

"Because I am," he chuckled back. He suppressed all her worries as he leaned in for another breathtaking kiss. He placed his hands around her cheeks and cupped her face. It was a moment where both of them were lost in each other. And as usual, Miley was the first to wake up from their dreamland.

"You need to go on now, mister."

"Got it," he winked. He grabbed his guitar and gave her one last kiss as they both walked through the door. Miley walked before him as she mumbled incoherent directions into her mic. Everyone began shifting places.

It was a small venue that night, but it felt like a comfortable place for Nick. He took in a huge breath and clumped together with his band. They all made a silent prayer and he started to tune his instrument.

"Okay, you guys are going to enter on stage left," Miley announced. She drew back a strand of hair and perched her pen on the clipboard. "You ready?"

"Yes, ma'am," Nick saluted her and she shook her head. "I was just waiting for my girlfriend to give me a good luck kiss." His band chuckled and moved out of the couple's way.

"Your girlfriend, huh?" Miley looked over her shoulder. "I don't see her around." Nick rolled his eyes and tugged her waist. They were a few millimeters apart until Nick dipped down in a kiss. His tongue swept across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth, allowing him full access. Miley was the first to pull out of the kiss as she quickly switched into manager mode.

"Okay, lover boy," she shoved him aside and placed him near the stage entrance. "Its go time," she whispered. She gave him a soft kiss on his neck before gently pushing him towards the spotlight.

The band was already set in place and Nick walked towards the mic. He let his relaxed personality take over and he slipped into his performer disguise.

"Well, hello Los Angeles. Are you ready to rock?" Miley shut her eyes as she heard the crowd burst into screams. She gave a sigh of relief- they already liked him. After all, what's not to like? She watched him carefully as he looked down towards his guitar. He bit his lip as he started to strum the chords.

"And this song is called Inseparable. Its about the most beautiful girl in my life," he added. The drummer started to place in the beats and Nick bobbed his head to the music. Miley suddenly felt swept away with a series of emotions. She watched as he sang his heart out. Nothing around her seemed to exist, but him. And that was when she suddenly decided- she could does this for the rest of her life. And hopefully, she would be given the chance to.

**A/N So this chapter was just to set up the story. Each day of the week will have its on own chapter and you just kind of get to see what shenanigans Miley gets herself into. You'll get to meet each member of the family individually and there's a lot of drama, but not like an intense story. Its supposed to be comedic and romantic and dramatic so hopefully I kind of get that all down. **


	2. Saturday

Miley placed her bags down on the hardwood floor. Her eyes drifted through the decor and she began to suddenly realize the difference between Nick and her. His guest bedroom was lined with new, expensive furniture while her own bedroom was stuffed with second hand desks. She filled her lungs with a long sigh and turned towards the bed. It didn't matter to her, though, and hopefully it would matter to Denise. She heard a soft knock before the bedroom door squeaked open.

"Hey," Nick whispered. He tiptoed towards his girlfriend and placed his arms around her waist. "Sorry, everyone's out right now. You'll meet them soon. I promise." He placed his soft lips on the tip of her ear before proceeding down her neck.

"Nick!" Miley whined. She twisted out of his grip and pushed him gently away. She tugged back her free strands of hair and gave him a serious look. "Crisis here. I'm nervous about meeting your family and you want to make out."

His thin lips formed a small smirk and his actions began to do the talking He stepped towards her and placed himself at a convenient distance for a kiss.

"And what's so bad about that?" he leaned in towards her neck and started to gently suck her neck. He felt her arch into him and he took the chance to bring his mouth towards hers. He felt her defenses crumble when she started to melt into the kiss. He was just about to move towards the empty bed when Miley pulled away. She gave him a small smirk before bolting out the door. She turned right and disappeared.

Nick started to chase her as he swung around the door frame. He caught a glance of hair as she turned at the end of the hallway. His eyes lightened up as he realized she accidentally turned in the wrong direction and into another room. He heard a faint shriek and a crash before he started to chuckle to himself. She just met Frankie.

"Nick!" he heard her yelp. He shook his head before walking towards his younger brother's room. He popped his head around the corner and saw them tangled up on the floor as Frankie was giving her a bear hug.

"Nick, I found a new friend! She's pretty!" the ten year old gushed. Miley howled with laughter and sat up straight before beaming at him.

"Yes, you did," she grinned. She ruffled his hair before turning her attention back on Nick. He was leaning against the door frame with his elbows crossed.

"I think I have competition."

"Yup, Nicholas, I found another Lucas I'm interested in." Nick rolled his eyes and sauntered into the room to take a seat next to Miley.

"Sorry, but she's _my _friend," Frankie stood up and clasped his little fingers around Miley's wrist to tug her up. Nick's hand automatically flew towards Miley's other wrist and tugged her back down.

"Sorry, kiddo, she's my _girlfriend_." As soon as those words flew out of his mouth, Frankie walked over to Nick, pulled him up, pushed him out the door. "Frank-" Nick started, but was shut off as his kid brother slammed the door shut.

"Now, we can get to business," the kid walked towards Miley and look pointedly towards the desk at the corner of his room.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked in the most professional tone he could muster up. Miley's eyebrows creased as she tried to decode the ten year old's words.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're at a doctor's office. What illness do you have," he said obviously. He reached over towards his bed and pulled on a white jacket that had the words Dr. Frankie taped near the front pocket.

"Oh," Miley said with realization. She stayed silent for a second until Frankie gave her another pointed look. She huffed back at his attitude and quickly thought up a way to play along."Well, you have to tell me. You're the doctor. Aren't you?" He grinned back at her answer and paced back and forth on his tiny rug.

"Why, yes I am," he said more to himself than his companion. He placed his hands on his hips and looked at Miley curiously before nodding his head solemnly.

"You have Loud Girl Syndrome," he pondered. He turned his back towards Miley and walked towards his desk. "Its very serious indeed." Miley stifled her laughter as she watched him shuffle through his papers. He finally clasped a notebook and wrote down a sentence or two before turning back to his patient.

"Is there any way to fix it, doctor?"

"There is one way," he looked at her. He stroked his chin before proceeding on. "You see, we can do this operation-" Miley played a gasp and faked shock as she looked at Frankie.

"No, an operation?" she asked as apprehensively as she could. Frankie gave her a short nod and released a deep sigh.

"It can be done today, though," he said before rushing out the door. He returned a couple moments later with some forks in spoons in one hand and tongs in the other. He closed the door with his back and rushed over to his desk. He spilled his equipment on his desk and nodded over to Miley.

"What?" she asked for clarification.

"Get on the table," he replied.

"On the table?"

"Yes," he said urgently. He cleared of the rest of the desk and patted the wood. Miley shrugged and climbed on top of the desk. Her legs dangled on the side and she laid flat on the top. "Okay, here's anastasia," he sprinkled invisible dust on her and turned around to grab his tools. She giggled at his word confusion and lifted her head up to see what he was up to. He took a fork and started to poke into her sides. She felt a slight tickling and started giggling.

"Shh!!" he whispered. "You're supposed to be asleep." He lifted up the tongs and started to poke around again. After a couple of minutes he stepped back. "All done," he announced. Miley started to lift up, but he gave her a glare.

"You need to rest," he explained before turning towards the door. He strutted out and closed the door behind him. Miley sighed and laid back down. She heard the door squeak open and lifted herself up a third time to see who it was.

"The doctor said I could see the patient," Nick chuckled. Miley rolled her eyes as he walked towards. "I'm actually the physician assistant here to help you," he continued on. "I see you have Loud Girl Syndrome," he looked at Frankie's notebook and started to burst out laughing. "Good thing the doctor fixed that."

Miley sat herself up and stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend.

"These are the kinds of things that can get you dumped," she playfully added. He smirked at her and set the notebook down.

"The doctor told me to give you some medicine, to you know. Keep treating the syndrome."

Miley raised her eyebrows and looked at his mischievous smile. His eyes were lit up with thoughts that were swimming through his head.

"And what would that be?" Nick didn't reply. Instead he moved closer and lifted himself up as he climbed on top of the desk to join her. He hovered over and leaned in. His lips brushed across her soft cheek. Miley's head started to become dizzy as she inhaled his scent.

"I think you know," he finally whispered in her ear. He shifted his weight so that he could lift his arm and brush her cheek. He smirked as she shuddered from his touch.

"Frankie might come back in," she whispered.

"He's taking a nap," Nick replied back. He inched forward and felt her soft lips. He was about to deepen the kiss when they both heard someone clearing their throat. Nick turned towards the door to see who was interrupting their special moment. His eyes widened and he scrambled off of Miley once he realized who it was. It was Miley's turn to become embarrassed as she saw a woman's outline. She blinked her eyes to get a better view of the person. It was Denise Lucas. What a great first impression.

**A/N Haha, so this is supposed to be a fun chapter with a minor cliffy in the end. The next chapter is going to be pretty light towards the end too, and then starts up the drama. I hope you guys found this chapter kind of adorable. I wanted this story to be different in that you got to meet the minor characters and get to know them a little bit more. Like a one on one sort of thing. So you kind of get it from Miley's POV but not really, haha**


	3. Sunday

Miley shifted in her seat as she took in the words of the priest. She tried to keep her attention towards the front, but her eyes kept wandering around the church. She landed on different decorations that compiled into the grandeur of the place, and she couldn't help but think how different it was from the church she normally attended. Everything was so delicately in place and meticulous to a point that it bothered her.

After carefully observing everything around her, Miley finally shifted her eyes to the woman who was sitting a few seats away from her. It was just the other day Miley had met Denise, and it wasn't the best of experiences. After the bedroom incident, Denise steered clear of the couple and didn't even show up for dinner. In fact, when Nick tried to talk to her, she dismissed him and went upstairs to take a nap. It definitely wasn't a good first impression.

It took a couple more moments for the sermon to end. Once it did, the Lucas family filed out and gathered near the cars. Miley met each of them during yesterday's dinner, but she didn't get the chance to talk to them individually.

"Kevin, I think this is the perfect place. The wedding is going to be splendid," Miley caught Denise's voice with a strained ear. She looked at Nick's older brother, who was jumbling with his keys.

"Yeah, you picked the perfect place," he replied automatically.

"Your brother's getting married," the brunette whispered to her boyfriend. Nick nodded sheepishly and wrapped a protective arm around her waist.

"Yeah, the wedding is this Wednesday," he said apprehensively. He didn't turn to see Miley's angry reaction. Instead, he loosened his grip and joined the wedding conversation. Miley was left to her own thoughts as she watched her boyfriend converse with his family.

"Well, hello there," a suave voice startled the brunette. She turned around to catch a glimpse of her intruder.

"Joe, hey, I haven't gotten to talk to you yet."

"I know," he chuckled. He stuffed his hands in the pocket of his jeans and leaned to the side to get a good look at his family. He was the only one that really stood out in the group. The rest were classed up while he wore denim jeans and a black t shirt. "You want to go for a ride. They're gonna be awhile," he nodded towards the group.

Miley crunched up her forehead and tilted her head to the right to see Nick fully engrossed in the conversation with his mother.

"Uh, I don't think it's a good idea..."

"Oh, come on. We'll get to know each other better," he offered back. Joe pulled on his best puppy dog face and whimpered at Miley to add an effect to his begging. He was definitely Nick's brother she thought to herself.

"Okay," she surrendered. She found herself effortlessly following him to his black Mercedes that was parked across the street. She took one last glimpse at Nick and slipped into Joe's car.

His hand flew to the gear and he started up the engine. It took him a second to slip on his sunglasses and he slammed the gas pedal, sending the car into full speed.

"So what's your story?" he asked, magically keeping his attention focused on both Miley and the road.

"What story?"

"You know how did you meet my brother?" It suddenly occurred to Miley that Nick hadn't shared any of their past to his family.

"We just met," she shrugged off the question. "What's your story," she eyed Joe. He shrugged and started to change lanes as he sped up even more. He looked at her with a smirk as she uncomfortably moved in her seat.

"Scared?" He looked at Miley once again and started to decrease his speed. She relaxed a little bit and drew out a sigh of relief.

"You drive like a maniac," she pointed out. Politeness was out of the question now- Joe felt so easy going that she started to relax.

"That's not the only thing I do like a maniac," he smirked. The car halted as it neared the red light and Miley looked at their surroundings. When the light turned green, Joe started up the car and began entering the freeway. He looked past his right shoulder once they neared another exit and slipped into the shoulder lane. He stopped his car and turned off the engine.

"Is something wrong with the car?" Miley asked hesitantly. She didn't notice any car problems when they were driving and she was very confused by Joe's present actions. He chuckled at her reaction and opened the car door to step out.

"No," he said once he was outside. He slammed his door shut and sat on the top of his trunk. Miley decided to join him outside and figure out what exactly he was up to.

"Hello, are you crazy?" she waved her hands in front of him, but he seemed dazed by the passing cars. Miley sighed and wondered how she found herself in this incredibly weird situation. She turned around to delve into her thoughts for a moment. It was then that she heard a huge "splat" on the ground. She looked down and saw a fresh blob of paint.

"You want to join me?" she heard his voice ask through the noise of the traffic. Miley turned around to find Joe holding a paintball machine **(A/N don't know if I can say the the actual word instead of machine)**.

"What are you doing with that?" Joe responded with a nod towards the cars running on the freeway. He smirked and held up the gun, aiming towards an oncoming black SUV. He waited a couple of seconds and pulled the trigger, sending a blue dot whizzing and hitting the car.

"Joe, what the hell," Miley yelped. She rushed over to him and grabbed the object. "You can't just paint ball cars."

"Why not?"

"Um, I'm pretty sure its illegal."

"So, there's a law that explicitly says you can't paint ball on the freeway?" He crossed his arms as he waited for a logical reply. Miley tapped her foot and looked at the passersby.

"This is insane," she retorted.

"Okay, so I'm assuming Nick's never talked about me. I am the epitome of insane," Joe joked. He tugged back the paint ball machine and walked towards his trunk, pulling another one out. He tossed it towards his companion and rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you know you want to try," he teased.

Miley adjusted the object and glared at the raven haired boy. It kind of did look like fun. She sighed and started to aim. She waited until the right moment and pulled the trigger. She felt the blow of the object shock her a little, but she also hear the loud splat of the paintball as it hit the car she had been aiming for.

"Oh my god. I hit it," she squealed. Joe chuckled at her enthusiasm and slung a free arm around her shoulder.

"Welcome to the dark side, my dear." He shoved his hand in his pocket and brought out assorted colors. "Here, pick any color," he offered. He watched as she shuffled around the paint balls and finally landed on the colors she liked.

"Do you do this often?" she asked as he starting aiming for another car. He looked at her and shook his head.

"First time doing this," he motioned at the freeway and released another paintball. This time, though, he missed. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He turned towards Miley and nodded at her. "You're turn."

Miley raised up her arm and tried one more time. She flicked the paintball out and hit one more car.

"Ha, I'm beating you."

"Yeah, well, my arm hurts. I just went to the gym," Joe stuck out his tongue. Miley smirked at his actions and watched as more cars kept passing by. They looked at each other one more time before hearing a loud siren emit from a nearby car.

The two looked up and saw a black and white car pull over. In a matter of seconds, a police officer stepped out and talked into a loud speaker. Miley internally groaned at herself and put her hands over her head. Getting arresting is not going to be the best second impression either.

**A/N Haha, so if that seemed like a weird and out of place chapter it was meant to be like that. I really wanted to emphasize that Joe is the odd one out of the family. He's supposed to be rebellious and you'll figure out why in the next chapter. This is supposed to be like light chapter so I hope you enjoyed it and I hope the ending kind of gave you a shock. I didn't want it to be foreshadowed it was just like an abrupt chapter because its supposed to mirror Joe's persona. Hope you liked it!**


	4. Monday

"I can't believe we're in jail."

"Happens all the time. Don't worry about it." Joe walked towards the corner of the cell and slumped on the bed. He dug his hands in his pockets and casually began to rock back and forth.

"We're in jail, Joe," his female companion pronounced. Her piercing blue eyes dug into his warm, chocolate ones. He finally tore his gaze away from her and look towards the black bars.

"Hey, friends bail you out of jail. Best friends are sitting there next to you saying it was totally worth it, right?" he joked. Miley's glare iced up again, sending a shiver down his spine. She was about to begin another tirade when the police officer started to unlock the cell.

"You guys have been bailed out," the officer announced. He slung back the bars and led the pair out. "Just sign some papers and you can walk."

"Oh, god, now I have to face Denise," Miley groaned. "And not to mention Nick!" she hissed at Joe and continued to walk towards the cop's desk.

"Don't worry, my mom doesn't bail me out...usually. And Nick is just Nick. He doesn't go near police stations," he whispered. He grabbed a pen and started to sign some papers. He nodded at the officer and waited for Miley to finish his previous actions.

"So you get arrested often?" Miley asked as the two turned around and walked towards the door. He shrugged back. Once Miley saw the morning sun, she looked over to a girl who was leaning against a sleek car across the street. Joe picked up into a slow jog and Miley followed.

"Hey, Demi," he greeted the mysterious person. The raven haired girl nodded at Joe and turned towards Miley.

"You must be Miley," she grinned. She stuck out her hand and Miley reciprocated the action. "I'm Demi, as Joe just said. I'm your pick you up from jail girl, apparently," Demi glared at Joe, who shrugged it off.

"Yeah, screw the introductions. I have stuff to do. So, just take her home," he nodded over to Miley. Demi crossed her arms and gave her friend an incredulous look.

"Denise is flipping out, Joe. Not a good time to go M.I.A."

"Just for a couple of hours," he pleaded. He rolled his eyes finally and held up a hand, calling a cab. "I'll be back, I promise," he shouted as he hopped into the yellow vehicle. Demi watched the car roll off and she beeped her car open.

"Come on, let's get you home."

"Okay," Miley meekly responded. She wasn't ready to face Denise or Nick just yet. After all, she had just gotten arrested. She was supposed to be making a good impression. The car geared into drive and Demi zoomed across the road.

"So, you're Miley," she said casually.

"Yeah, I'm Miley."

"So, how is the week going so far?"

"Sorry, don't mean to sound rude or anything, but who are you," Miley shifted her position so she was facing the driver. Demi side glanced at her and started to pull the car over. She parked in a shady spot and turned to her companion.

"Who am I," she pondered. She looked at Miley one last time before preceding to answer the question. "I've been a family friend of the Lucas' for awhile." Miley silently nodded at her answer and looked at the window.

"Why are we parked in a random place?

"Just kind of figured you need some time before heading back."

"I was just arrested for the first time in my life."

"Yup I've had a lot of first with Joe too." Miley gave her friend a quizzical look until Demi's eyes lit up with realization."Not like that," she blushed. She hid her face in her arms and started laughing hysterically. "God, I need to think before I speak," she giggled. She held her breath for a couple of seconds and tried to steady herself.

"So, what did you mean by that," Miley chuckled. She waited as Demi calmed herself down and finally looked up. She was still a little flushed up, but she could finally get a response out.

"The first time I got drunk was with Joe. The first time I got a detention was with him. He always knows how to find trouble," Demi mumbled. "We even got into a police chase once," she confessed. Miley tilted her head in curiosity, but Demi rolled her eyes. "Don't ask."

"So, whats the deal with everyone," Miley pulled up her legs and sat cross legged on the seat in order get comfortable.

"Well...Denise has a plan for everyone," Demi chuckled bitterly. "Kevin follows it. Joe rebels from it and well Nick...I don't know what he does." Miley's ears perked up at the mention of Nick's name.

"Wait, so you don't talk to Nick much," Miley asked as her curiosity peaked. It seemed as though no one in the house really knew Nick much.

"Well, now I do. Nick talking has been sort of a recent phenomena. I was pretty surprised when he said a girlfriend." Miley stayed silent as she summed up her thoughts. "I mean I know about some of his music stuff," Demi added as an afterthought.

"Some?" Miley inquired. Nick had mentioned that a couple of his friends knew, but she hadn't ever seen them at any of his shows.

"He's super private about that stuff. He's private about everything, but yeah. Shouldn't you know this?" Demi asked.

"No, he's never been shy around me. We met because I was his manager and well...we just clicked and we became really good friends pretty quickly. He asked me out and things just went from there," she supplied Demi with information.

"Wait, so he's never been shy around you?" Demi clarified. Miley shook her head as a response and slumped into her chair. "Weird. He must really like you," she commented. A light blush formed on Miley's cheeks and she rolled her eyes, shrugging off Demi's compliment.

"Ehhhhmagawed. You soooo like him back," Demi playfully added to Miley's embarrassment. The brunette shoved her back and huffed.

"Puhlease, gurl. I so do not." Demi started laughing and the two howled in their own enjoyment together. Demi was the first one to stop as she shook her head, trying to calm her counterpart down. "Okay," Miley put her hand to her chest and closed her fit of giggles.

"So, is Nick intense with his music?" Demi asked as they finally started to gear back into a normal mood.

"Yeah, he's so good on stage. Its like he really loves it." A small smile appeared on Miley's face as she recounted the countless nights she had watched Nick perform. "He has an incredible stage presence."

"Wow, he hides his whole life from us. I guess he isn't going into the family business like Kevin," Demi chuckled. She bit her lip. "And at least he isn't acting out like Joe."

"About Kevin, why is he getting married so young. He's like twenty five or something, right?" Demi nodded and just shrugged.

"Its Denise's plan for them. She wants them all packaged up and ready to ship off into the business world."

"Yeah, well this the first wedding in the family, everyone must be really excited," Miley added.

"Its technically not the first in the family," Demi giggled. She looked over at Miley, expecting the girl to be laughing around with her. Unfortunately for her, Miley was dead silent with confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" her voice was laced with curiosity and hurt.

"I just thought Nick would have told you. Its nothing," Demi quickly covered up. She waited a couple of seconds for Miley's reaction. "Its really nothing."

"He was married?" Miley choked out. Her eyes were wide with horror as she absorbed this unknown information. Demi looked down in shame as she realized what she had done.

"It wasn't like that, Miley. It was a complete accident."

"Explain." That one word was strong and forceful.

"We were in Vegas one night for his twenty first birthday. And Nick's a pretty quiet guy, but when he gets drunk, he does stupid things. Really stupid things, Miley," she watched as the girl beside her started to lose her bubbly personality. Miley closed her arms around her and blinked her eyes before looking up at Demi.

"I think its better if I go back now," she surrendered. They both buckled up their seat belts before Demi signaled and started towards the Lucas' house. Miley definitely needed some questions answered.

**A/N Okay, I know that was a lot of background information in this chapter, but it was necessary to start setting up the ending and the theme to the story. And if you look closely it shows why Nick did what he did. There will be Niley stuff in the next chapter...I know you guys are going through withdrawal. Niley will be in every chapter from now on. So, I hope you guys were surprised about the ending and I hope your willing to find out how they'll attempt to solve this situation =D Welllll.......I hope this chapter does well...its pretty big part of the story, haha. **


	5. Tuesday

Miley paced in front of Nick's door. It was almost four in the morning and she hadn't gotten any sleep. Nick and Denise were out when she came back with Demi. And when they did return, she didn't really have the courage to confront him about his secret. She took in a deep breath and placed her small, fragile hand on the door knob. She slowly pushed the door open and stepped into his room. It was a surprise to her that he was awake and was sitting at the edge of his bed, his head in his hands.

"Hey," she quietly peeped. Her toes tiptoed until she reached his side. She looked at him curiously and took a huge breath in. This was going to be a long talk.

"You got arrested," he blatantly stated. He looked at Miley with an incredulous look and got up with a thrust of energy. "Do you have any idea what my mom is thinking right now?" Miley blinked back as a couple of stray tears were building with in her. She did care about what Denise thought, but right now the fact that Nick was married was more important.

"You got married in Vegas," she spat. The room suddenly became eerily quiet as Nick froze in time. All his senses were alert now as his mind began to work in over drive. "I wonder what your mom would think about that."

"Miley," he whispered. She turned away slightly and tilted her body to block Nick's view of her face. "How did you find out?"

"No, Nick," she tilted her head up. Her eyes met with his and she locked her gaze. "The question is why didn't I know?"

"Its not like that."

"Then tell me what its like." Nick let a frustrated growl at her proposal. He paced around the room, gathering his thoughts before he spoke up with a clear voice."

"I was drunk. We were in Vegas for my twenty first birthday and I married my childhood friend. We didn't want it at all," he clarified. He took another deep breath in before plunging on with his explanation. "We got it annulled like six months later. I was completely single when I met you," he put his index finger on her chin and tilted her face upwards.

"It doesn't change the fact that you didn't tell me. And you didn't even tell me about Kevin's wedding!"

"I'm sorry," he dug his head into the crook of her neck and left a small, soft kiss. "I'm just so used to hiding my life from people. I hid music from my parents and I guess I just got carried away and I hid this stuff from you. I thought you would be mad at both things, and I just couldn't wait for your reaction. I do it with my mom and it just turned into a habit. I'm sorry."

"You know. I'm not like your mom," she whispered, afraid Denise would over hear their private conversation. He held his head down and Miley cupped his face with her warm hands. "I'm not. I love you. And I love everything you do. I'll support you one hundred percent whether you want to go into business, into music, or anything. You never need to hide anything from me."

"I know," he slipped the words out before kissing her.

"Will I see her at the wedding tomorrow?" Her voice was quivering at this point. She wasn't jealous but she was nervous to meet the girl.

"Yeah, she's the sweetest person you'll ever meet. But, I don't love her like that. I love you." He pressed his tender lips on her smooth forehead and held the moment frozen in time for a couple of seconds.

"Sorry I got arrested like the second day I was visiting your family," Miley sighed. She looked up at Nick with a pleading face. "I swear, it was just for fun and then the cop came and everything went by so fast." The words were practically soaring through her mouth as Nick tried to keep up.

"Hey, its okay," he reassured her. "Joe pulls this stuff all the time. I was angry at first, but I know you just want to get to know everybody."

"Yeah, that's all it was. We were having a lot of fun and we didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"I know," he smiled at her. "Hey, let's go downstairs and help out Kev with wedding stuff."

"Sounds good," she beamed back with him. "But first," she rose up just a tad to reach his lips. "I want to kiss my boyfriend."

"Oh yea?" he smirked. She nodded. "Well, I've always wanted a bad girl," he retorted before crashing his lips down on her. He scooted onto the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her waste. They both went deeper into the kiss and finally pulled away for a breath of fresh air.

"I love weddings," Miley said thoughtfully as the two started to head towards the door. "But I don't have a dress..." she trailed.

"Mom ordered one for you yesterday," Nick shot back. "She wanted to get her mind off of the fact that Joe was in jail...yet again," he chuckled. They made their way to the stairs and headed towards the dining room, where Kevin and his fiance were musing over some details.

"Hey Nick," Kevin called over his shoulder when he heard the footsteps on the tiled floor. His brunette companion was the first to look up.

"You must be Miley," she squealed. She rushed over and engulfed Miley into a warm hug. "I'm Danielle," her bubbly personality was evident in each word.

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Miley gushed. She was happy to get a nice welcome from at least one member of the family. "Hi, Kevin," she nodded at the older brother before slipping into a chair. Nick sat beside her and nodded at the pictures.

"They still haven't picked out a cake for tomorrow's wedding," he laughed. Danielle was flipping through glossy pages and furiously shaking her head.

"Sorry your brother here procrastinates," she snapped at Kevin giving him a playful glare. She squeezed his hand as she took a final look at the pictures. "Why is the cake so hard to pick out."

"Here, can I help?" Miley offered. Danielle beamed back and slid over the samples.

"Of course!" she nudged Kevin who smiled at Miley.

"We would love to have your input," he gave her a nice smile before giving her a nod of encouragement. Miley flashed him her pearly whites and opened up the book. She flipped through the first pages and looked up.

"Its a small wedding, right?" she asked. Nick scooted in closer to get a better look at the pictures.

"Yeah, we didn't want anything too big. Just closest family and friends," Kevin answered. "I'm glad you got to come, though," he added thoughtfully, putting in a quick smile.

"So glad," Danielle pushed. She craned to see what Nick and Miley were currently looking at now. Nick was now closer in and was resting an arm around her waste and a chin on her shoulder. She gave a small nudge and both of their eyes smiled into one single picture.

"Yeah, I was thinking that one, too," he chuckled. He traced his hand around the design of the cake.

"I can read your mind mister," she giggled. She placed the book in front of Danielle and leaned in to point at their selection.

"The one with the single rose on the top. With the two tiers. So simple yet so elegant," she looked at Danielle and Kevin, waiting for their reply. Kevin automatically smiled and lit up like a child on Christmas.

"That's actually perfect," both s yelped at the same time. Danielle's hand flew to the phone and she jumped up with a bolt of energy.

"Going to call the bakery now!" she exclaimed before leaving the room.

"I'm excited for the wedding," Miley attempted to start a conversation with Kevin. He looked up and smiled, his eyes lighting up from the word "wedding".

"Thanks, I'm really happy. I love her and I can't think of a better time," he gushed. Miley giggled from the love that was radiating off the older brother. She looked at Nick and smiled to herself. She couldn't help but feel the same way. He nuzzled his nose into hers before she turned her attention back on Kevin.

"Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day," she beamed. And inside, she truly thought that. Especially since she was going to be meeting Nick's ex wife.

**A/N So, this kind of tied up the drama that happened in the last two chapters. And then the next one is the wedding. And there's the chapter after that and then Friday- THE DECISION. Haha, so three chapters left. I hope you guys kind of got why Nick was the way he was and it wasn't just some random drama happening. It was for a reason and to show their relationship isn't perfect but they can solve stuff. The next chapter won't focus on one character- it will me the whole family and Demi and they mystery girl will show up =D**


	6. Wednesday

"Good evening there, good looking," she felt his breath skim across her bare neck. His arms circle around her silk, lavender gown as he closed in the distance between them. "Missed you," he mumbled, nuzzling into her.

"Its only been a couple minutes," she chuckled back. She spun around to take a good look at his tuxedo. "You look good," she whispered, leaning in to give him a soft kiss on his rosy cheeks.

"Thanks."

"Do you like the dress," she gave him a smirk as she slipped of her shawl and turned around. The dress revealed her back to a dangerously low point. "Not too scandalous?" she asked as she turned towards him again, giving him a clear view of the front.

"It looks great," he smiled. "Now only if you could just take it off..." he trailed mischievously, resulting in a smack on his right arm.

"Comments like those," she glared. "Will leave you with no kisses for a month," she continued, staring at his shocked expression before turning around. She walked towards the back door of the house and stepped out into a beautiful outdoor wedding.

The chairs were neatly lined up, in front of the white gazebo. Miley took a deep breath and sat next to a random girl, who was situated near the back.

"Hey, I'm Miley," she grinned, introducing herself. The girl tilted her head and beamed back to the brunette.

"You're Nick's girlfriend!" the stranger screeched. She blew her bangs away from her face and bit her lip, assessing Miley before continuing her statement. "I'm Maya."

"Maya!" Miley heard her boyfriend's voice behind her. He rushed to their seats and swooped the petite girl into a giant hug. "I haven't seen you in ages."

"Yup, you're too busy with your life," the girl playfully glared at Nick. She turned her attention back on Miley. And launched into another hug. "Its so good to finally get to see you," she emphasized the finally dramatically. She lifted herself off of Miley and grinned, "I've heard so much about you."

"Uh," Miley awkwardly stood in place and looked for Nick for help.

"Oh, sorry," Nick blushed and looked towards his friend. "This is Maya. The girl I grew up with and..." he trailed uncertainly. Miley looked at him curiously, encouraging him to press on. "The girl from Vegas," he mumbled. Maya quickly flung her hand into Nick's arm as he winced in pain.

"That's how you introduce me to your girlfriend," she hissed. She looked at Miley for a quick reaction.

"She wanted to meet you," Nick defended.

"I really did," Miley came to his defense. "Plus, its not like you guys wanted to get married," she giggled, trying to make the situation more comfortable for Maya.

"I'm glad there's no awkwardness," Maya nodded back to Miley. She smiled and sat down again, dragging Miley down with her. "Did you meet Demi yet?"

"Yeah, we were talking just the other day." Maya nodded at her friend's response and glared at Nick.

"Hell, girl talk," she shooed him away with her freshly manicured fingertips. Nick shook his curls and chuckled, leaving the two girls completely alone.

"Demi would be the only one wearing black to a wedding," Maya said as she threw her head back in laughter as she caught sight of the tanned girl. Demi made her way through the garden and placed herself next to Miley, after giving a warm hug to Maya.

"Hey girls," Demi smiled, putting her attention onto both of them. "Were you two just talking about me?" she wiggled her eyebrows for effect.

"About how gorgeous you are, duh," Maya retorted. Demi snorted with laughter and looked around the place.

"Apparently not as gorgeous as this place," she commented. They girls scanned around and took in the various flower decor that transformed the normally boring backyard. "I love your dress," she added randomly, the statement directed towards Miley.

"Thank you. Didn't know black was your color," Miley commented. "It looks adorable on you."

"She wears black to everything," Maya explained. She twisted herself around to see Nick making his way over to the girls. "Looks like the devil is coming back," she added in a sing song voice. Miley glanced back and giggled.

"More like an angel," she defended her boyfriend, earning a chorus of giggles from her two friends. Maya and Demi laughed even harder once Nick stood in front of Miley.

"What?" he chuckled, looking at the two crazy girls that sat beside his girlfriend.

"Your girl just called you an angel," Maya supplied, gasping for breath. Nick shrugged and put on a smirk.

"Well, can you blame her," his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Conceited," Maya said in between fake coughs. He took one good look at her and rolled his eyes.

"He has good reason," Miley laughed, defending her boyfriend one last time before getting up and linking arms with him.

"Oh, please don't support _that_," Maya groaned. Miley winked at her and snuggled into Nick's chest.

"This poor baby needs a self esteem booster," Miley cooed, giving Nick a small kiss on the tip of his nose. "He deserves it," she gave a final wink to the girls and twirled around with Nick.

"We better get you up there, best man," Miley whispered into his ear. They leaned into each other as they both strolled towards the front. People were already beginning to take their seats and every important person was already lined up. Maya and Demi trailed behind the two, scuttling towards their brides maids spots.

Light music was playing and the sun was dipping its head down, providing a light orange glow to the ceremony. Once everyone settled down, the two parted and took their respective sides. The music got louder and Kevin was the first to walk down the purple carpet that was rolled out onto the grass.

He took long strides and finally ended up in front of the minister. He nodded respectfully and turned his head to see Danielle making her way out of the house's back door. She had a flowy, strapless creme color dress that complimented her skin tone quite well.

Miley took a good look at Kevin's smile as he saw Danielle's face beaming back at him. They say the groom's expression when he first sees his bride tells a lot about the relationship. And the look Kevin had did just that. Miley could see the love and happiness written all over his face. And deep down inside, she prayed that this could be her and Nick someday.

The proceedings started and the minister took out an old book and flipped it open, coughing for dramatic emphasis.

"We are gathered here today," he spoke kindly, embracing the love that was emitting from the young couple. He bent his head down and started to say more, but Miley tuned him out.

She made sure to look at Nick. He looked at his brother with pride and surety that they would last a lifetime. Was he that sure about their relationship too? She earned her answer when he gave her a small smirk. His eyes twinkled with a certain passion that made her stomach flip over. She blushed and looked away- her eyes landing on the middle brother.

Joe. She hadn't really gotten to talk to him since the arrest. He was quiet around the house and slipped out during the night. He caused a bit of trouble, but Denise tried to ignore everything as much as possible, pushing everything under a rug and not acknowledging his rebellious attitude.

Miley shook out of her thoughts when she heard Kevin's voice whisper a faint "I do". It was Danielle's turn now. The priest said the same monotonous words again and Danielle looked up, love evident in her eyes.

"I do," she whispered back, before crashing into an earth shattering kiss. The two held each other tight and pulled away, meeting the applause of their family members. They cuddled into each other and stepped out as husband and wife.

Miley watched as the two walked down the carpet, beaming at each other. She felt Nick's arm link into hers as they started to make their way down.

"That's going to be us in a couple of years," he whispered into her ear, as though he was reading her thoughts. Miley blushed and bit her lip. She moved in closer to him and silently prayed that he was right.

"I really, really hope so," she murmured.

"I love you," he pressed his lips onto her temple and made their way into her house. Hopefully, their prayers would come true...one day. But Denise would have to approve first.

**A/N Okay, so that was a chapter to kind of conclude the drama from before and settle down a bit. There's around two more chapters left of this story. YIPPPEEEEE!!!!!! And now, a little bit more drama pops up again..and you'l kind of see how Nick and Miley solve that..or don't solve it. You never know how the story ends and Hopefully you're kind of getting a hint of the theme of the story and why its called dollhouse. I need you guys to review and keep the stats leveled even though this was a filler in order for me to post the next chapter. Huge cliffy in the next chapter =D And it gets gooooood. Love you guys! Thanks for the supppport**


	7. Thursday

It was the day after the wedding and the whole house was recovering from the prior events. Denise had called in some help to clean up the backyard and take away all the decorations. The house, for the most part, had a feeling of tranquility as its members lounged around, relaxing after the big day.

Miley woke up to vibrant sun rays dancing around her guest room. She sighed as she realized that she only had two more days left in the house. Forty eight hours to impress everyone. She dragged herself towards her dresser and ruffled her hair before pulling on a quick white v neck and skinny jeans in order to make herself presentable. Once she made it down the stairs, her eyes scanned for a companion. On the couch, was Papa Jonas.

"Hey," she sad softly, landing beside the figure. She snuggled into the sofa and turned herself toward the man to make a proper conversation.

"Hello, Miley," he said kindly, carefully tearing his eyes away from the television set.

"I didn't get a chance to really talk to you...so.." she trailed. She earned a light chuckle from her conversation partner.

"Yeah, we've been busy," he joked. He laid the remote on the coffee table and turned towards his son's girlfriend. "So.."

"This is awkward," Miley giggled and sighed. "I just wanted to you know get to know the whole family while I'm here."

"I understand," he adjusted his glasses and took in a deep breath. "Why don't you start by telling me about yourself?"

"What's there to tell," Miley shrugged softly. She looked around the living room and let a small chuckle. "I definitely didn't grow up like this," she motioned at the various, expensive furniture.

"Yeah, its a lot to take in," he leaned back. He smiled thoughtfully and shifted the conversation back onto Miley. "So, where did you grow up?"

"Tennessee," she answered back in a robotic fashion. She gave him a small nostalgic smile and proceeded to explain herself. "My dad was a struggling musician. We moved to LA when I was three."

"So, he stayed a struggling musician?"

"For the most part," Miley laughed. "It was never about the money though. It was always about the music," She brought her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Its always nice to have that kind of passion for something," he commented. He leaned forward and grabbed his coffee cup to take a quick sip.

"Yeah, and I always promised myself that I'd find a guy like that. Seriously, Nick loves his music as much as my dad does..." it took Miley a moment before she realized what had just slipped out, but it was too late. The damage was done and Paul's eyebrows were higher than ever.

"Nick plays music?" he asked dubiously- his voice carried in a large echo and the woman standing near the doorway heard his question.

"Don't be silly Paul," she laughed. Miley's head rose and she saw Denise walking into the room. "Nick doesn't know a G note from a C," she laughed, but her eyes were trained onto Miley. "Does he?"

Miley remained unresponsive and frozen due to Denise's tone. Nick's parents lay motionless and Denise gave at a low cough.

"How long has this been going on?" she asked. "Is it anything serious...enough for him to quit the business?" Miley tried to open her mouth for a response, but she just couldn't get her muscles to work. Nick's secret was out and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

"Whats going on?" Miley heard her boyfriend speak up. He was at the base of the stairs, wearing a confused expression.

"You have a career in music and you didn't bother to tell us?" Denise crossed her arms and turned towards her son. Nick stood still and looked at Miley frantically, trying to gain knowledge of what just happened. "Don't look at her," she spat.

"Mom, I can explain," he stepped towards his mother. Paul walked towards his wife and placed an arm around her shoulder as she leaned into him.

"Explain what, Nicholas? That you've been lying to us...for god knows how long?"

"It isn't like that," he stepped forward again. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and gave a groan of frustration. Miley stood up for her boyfriend's defense and opened her mouth.

"He didn't want to disappoint you," she explained, but Nick was quick to cut her off.

"Just stop, Miley," he snapped. He looked at his mom with begging eyes and hovered close to her. Miley backed up in a loss of words.

"Mom, it was all a mistake. I'm sorry. It was just a hobby and I just happened to be good at it," he explained. Denise shook her head heavily. By now, there was a crowd of the whole family in the living room and everyone had gotten a gist of what was happening.

"It was a mistake that you hid it from me. Your mother," she pronounced each word slowly and gave Nick one final look before heading upstairs. Paul obediently followed her, leaving the rest of the family alone in the living room.

Miley put her hand on Nicks shoulder, but he shrugged it away carelessly. He slammed his hand on the table and glared at her.

"I'm going out," his voice was laced with anger that pushed Miley into a corner. He whipped his head around and grabbed his keys before disappearing out of the house.

Joe, Frankie, Kevin, and Danielle hung their heads silently and began to one by one file back to wait they were previously doing. It didn't take long until Miley was left in isolation- alone to ponder the damage that had been caused.

The house was dead silent. It had been ten minutes since Nick stormed out and Miley was starting to become scared. She had seen him angry before, but this was a whole new level. She had no idea what to do.

She began to pace back and forth in the living room, murmuring comfort to herself until she heard the phone ring. She looked around, but everyone was tucked away inside their rooms, trying to sort out what had just occurred. She quickly reached for the phone and held in a deep breath.

"Hello?" she asked. She heard the heavy breathing on the other end and immediately recognized Nick's murmurs.

"I can't believe you did that," he hissed.

"Where are you?"

"That really doesn't matter right now," he quickly shot back. His voice was accompanied by random drunken voices in the background. He must have stopped at some place- at a bar.

"Are you at a bar?" she asked. She heard him slam down a glass bottle.

"Does it matter?"

"Nick..." she trailed, worriedly. She already knew what he did when he was drunk.

"No, I'm supposed to be mad at you. Not the other way around," his voice was beginning to slur and Miley began to realize the damage he was creating.

"I didn't mean to. It slipped out," she begged him. He couldn't be mad at her for an honest mistake.

"Why did you tell them? Can you please tell my what the hell was going through your mind?" he snapped. His anger was apparent and Miley could imagine how frustrated he was at the moment.

"I-," she sobbed. She couldn't handle him and tears started to storm down her face. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough, Miley," his voice was strained and he was about to go on, but unfortunately for him the person on the other end of the phone hung up. He heard the dead beeps of the dial tone and hung his head down in frustration.

On the other side of the city, Miley was curled up on the couch, trying to cry away her pain. She placed her hand on the phone and shook violently. She hung up because she couldn't handle the yelling and she didn't regret the decision- she needed some space.

She let her brunette locks cover her face as her tears began to dry up and her confidence began to surge back. She heard a faint ring next to her ear and her head darted up. She paused for a second and reached for the phone, but another hand beat her to it.

The pale hand lifted up the black object and held it to their pursed lips.

"You better come home, Nicholas," Denise hissed. Her words were full of venom and her eyes were flaring with frustration. She looked over to the broken girl and slammed the phone back in its place. It took her a few seconds to gain back her composure and walk back to her bedroom.

**A/N written quickly because I procrastinated, but I think it came out pretty good. Okay, notice that the root of all the drama that has happened throughout the story comes from one place...the fact that Nick hides stuff....and why does he hide stuff? Why does Joe rebel? and why does Kevin keep quiet and listen? Just think about these things. THe next chapter is Friday. So, the most anticipated chapter, huh?**


	8. Friday

Nick lay awake in his own bed, staring at the pale white that stretched itself across his ceiling. He rapidly blinked his eyes, trying to get rid of the hangover he was currently experiencing. He swung over his heavy legs and yawned as he hit the floor.

"Its going to be a long day," he muttered. He had gotten in at around one in the morning the night before, scared of his mother's reaction. He leaned his head back and groaned at the thought of yesterday's phone call. He was not in the right state to call Miley like that, and he knew it at the time, but he did it anyways. Mistakes. They could really cause a lot of damage.

He walked towards his bathroom and ran the faucet, allowing his hands to come into contact with the ice, cold water. He splashed himself in the face and tilted his head toward the right wall- the only thing separating him and Miley's bedroom. He sighed as he wondered what she was doing that very second.

Miley folded up her dry shirt and smoothed it out before piling it into the black suitcase. She went around the bed corner to grab the duffel bag she had brought with her and set it on the comforter. She sighed before nostalgically looking around the room.

"I'm going to miss this place," she softly said, knowing fully well that no one was around to hear. She chuckled to herself. "Or maybe I won't," she rolled her eyes. She felt an empty feeling at the pit of her stomach- something she hadn't felt since leaving home for college.

She lifted herself of the bed and walked towards the oak dresser and grabbed her comb. She brushed through her unruly waves. She reached for her lip gloss and looked back up at the clock. It was half past noon- the time that Denise wanted everyone downstairs.

"I better getting going for my trial," she joked inwardly. She took one last look at the bedroom. It was weird that she was leaving her destiny in Denise's hands. That was something the old Miley would never do. She looked down as she realized this. She had changed. In the span of seven days, she let herself become the victim- the person who stayed quiet and let others step over her. Isn't that what she did with Nick yesterday? She wasn't the only one that had changed though. And with this, her mind began to circulate with new questions.

As Miley pondered her own thoughts, everyone was getting ready to go to the family room for the long awaited day. They all individually loved Miley and hoped for the best, but no one had the the true courage to defy Denise if she chose the unlikeable option of shunning the brunette.

Denise paced back and forth on the carpet, silently muttering to herself as her fellow family members stepped down the stairs and began ordering themselves throughout the leaving room. It took a couple of moments for Miley to come, dragging her bags down the stairs. Denise looked at the young woman before her, who was careful not to look at anyone for too long. She recounted the past couple of days and sighed to herself- she was about to voice her decision to the rest of the family.

Denise positioned herself neatly in front of the big screen television as the family silently waited for Nick's arrival. It took a couple of moments to gain sight of him, but he came slowly came down the stairs, deeply engrossed in his own thoughts.

The center of attention fixed her bun and stared blankly at her family. She didn't know how much her choice would affect everyone. She had given Miley a fair chance and now it was her turn to voice her decision about the young brunette.

"I think I want to first say that Miley, you were truly a pleasure to have here," she said kindly. The young woman gave her a weak smile and clasped the handle of her suitcase. "But I've made my decision and I have to say-," but she was clearly cut off before she could say anything else.

"Mom, I actually don't care what you say," Nick spoke up. The room erupted in utter silence as Denise whipped around and opened her mouth slightly.

"Nick, listen to what I have to say," she said in soft tone, but her son shrugged off her words.

"I think-" Nick started up, but was surely interrupted.

"Doesn't anyone care what I think?" Miley's voice sounded above Nick's. The curly haired boy turned slightly and got a full view of Miley's tanned face. She had her arms crossed and was looking down at the floor.

"What are you saying, Mi?" Nick begged to hear a positive answer, but she turned her head away from him and looked at Denise.

"Thank you for letting me stay here, Denise. It really was..." she trailed and let out a stifled sob. Nick couldn't understand what she was trying to say. "But, I can't do this anymore," she let her hair fall before her face to guard herself from Nick's gaze.

"Miley," he reached for her, but she withdrew. She let her hands settle by her side before turning her back on Nick.

"Look, everyone," she began to direct her speech to the crowd around her. "I love Nick- I really do, but yesterday...we had a fight. We've had fights before, but before I could see his love when he yelled at me...yesterday...there was no love in that phone call." She hesitated for a moment and grabbed her bags.

"Denise, I can't watch Nick become this person that I don't even know. When he's in this house, he hides stuff from me. He yells at me. The Nick I fell in love with had no fear of showing that he loved music. He didn't dare hide any of the emotions he held for me or anybody else for that matter. He may like being who he is when he's here, but I can't watch him become that person in front of my eyes and do nothing about it," she wiped away a stray tear and turned towards Nick. He stood motionless as though his life was draining out of him drop by drop.

"Nick," she held a hand to his cheek. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She leaned in her forehead to his and bit her lip. "I love you, but not this you," she motioned to him. "I loved the guy that I saw perform on that stage just a couple of weeks ago." She stayed silent for a moment and walked towards Frankie, kneeling down and messing up his hair.

"I'm going to miss you Dr. Frankie," she whispered, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. Frankie clung to her and tightened his grip.

"Don't go," he sobbed. Miley fought back her tears and tore herself away from him. She looked at Kevin and Danielle, giving them each a small, dainty smile.

"Congratulations, and I hope you guys have a wonderful life." She turned towards Joe- the final goodbye she had left in here.

"I'm suffocating here, Joe. I can't do it. I can't hide like Nick. And I can't be you. You understand that, right?" she asked, closing in the distance from the middle brother. He nodded and hung his head to her shoulder once she came in for a hug.

"I understand. Save yourself," he said quietly, making sure no one heard him. Miley let a soft, bitter chuckle and slung her bag over her shoulder and started to walk towards the main hall of the house.

No one chose to go after her, because no one really knew what to say. They were all suffering from the same thing Miley was running away from. They were becoming people to fit Denise's ideals. The ideal of a perfect family- just like a dollhouse. And Miley Ray Stewart wasn't a doll...nor would she ever be.

**A/N Okay, ahha I know you're mad at me, but THIS IS NOT THE ENDING. There's an epilogue..that will come...when 14 reviews are posted for this chapter. Haha, I'm cruel...but I want to keep my average steady (I have OCD and I need the stats leveled for my own sanity) So, yeah....Miley left because she didn't want to to change and because she didn't want to watch Nick change into a person his mom wanted him to be. And No, you guys get why its called a Dollhouse. Now, you remember how each chapter is focused on one person? Who haven't we met yet?....Denise..she's the person the epilogue will focus on and I hope you guys are looking forward to it!!! The next chapter is the absolute last chapter.**


	9. Epilogue

Denise pressed the breaks, letting the car slowly lurch to its halt. She pressed her forehead against the steering wheel and tilted her head towards her son, who situated himself in the passenger seat of the white Mercedes.

"So, how am I supposed to do this?" Nick shifted uncomfortably in the leather seat. He looked towards the light, brown building that was across the street. A front door had never look so intimidating as it had now.

"She's your girlfriend," Denise chuckled. She let out a sigh and looked out of her window. "I really like her Nick. She's a wonderful person."

"I really thought you were gonna say no, mom. I never expected her to leave like that," he groaned. He slightly adjusted his seat to get into a comfortable position. He closed his eyes for a moment and began to take short intake of breaths. "What if I go in there and she doesn't even want to see me?"

"Well, you at least need to try. You love her right?" Denise earned a short nod from her son. "Then things will turn alright, kiddo," she gave him a soft kiss on his forehead. "Here, how about I go in first," she proposed. Nick raised his eyebrows and bit his lip before answering back.

"Okay," he slipped out almost silently. Denise gave him a small smile and opened her car door. Placing her stilettos on the gravel of the street, she hopped off towards Miley's house. She approached the door and pressed her freshly manicured hands on the doorbell, emitting a ring around the inside of the house. She heard muffled shuffling before a tear stained brunette opened the door.

"Denise?" the young girl questioned. There was confusion mixed with a sort of happiness to see her ex boyfriend's mother on her doorstep.

"Miley," Denise said softly, before ducking into the girl's house. "I'm here to talk to you," she went straight to the point and looked over her shoulder to see Miley gain back her composure.

"Sure, of course," Miley motioned towards the family room, walking Denise towards the sofa. She grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and handed it to the older woman before taking her own seat. "To be honest I never thought I would see after yesterday," Miley stuttered.

"You never gave me a chance to say what I wanted to say," Denise chuckled. She took a sip of water and pursed her lips together. "When I first saw you, I really didn't know what to expect."

"You don't need to do this," Miley interrupted. She swiftly got up and turned her back, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to spill.

"Oh, but I do," Denise countered gently. "Look, Miley the bottom line is, our house benefited from you." That was the statement that sent Miley twirling around, wide eyes conquering her facial expressions.

"W-what?" she held her mouth gaped open- that was the last thing she was expecting Denise to say. "What do you mean?" Denise stood up and stepped forward, engulfing Miley into a warm hug.

"I know what I do to my family, dear. I strive so hard for perfection that I forget that we're all just human. But you and what you possess showed me so much in a week," she gripped Miley tighter and let go, turning her back and gathering up her thoughts before speaking again.

"I guess the first thing you taught all of us was to have passion. The way you looked at Nick," Denise turned around. "And the way he looked at you. You made Frankie happy when no one in our house really had time to look after him."

"He's a good kid," Miley countered back softly.

"Let me finish," Denise chuckled, earning a shy smile from the brunette. "And Joe had someone who finally understood him." Denise had small tears peeking out of the corners of her eyes by this time.

"Denise," Miley shifted her weight to one foot

"And Nick, he finally had someone who inspired him to do what he wants. To finally have a passion- an interest for something. I could never get him to open up to people the way you have," she lifted up her hand wiping away the tears on Miley's cheek. "You're truly special, Miley. And I would never want to change that."

"Thank you," Miley whispered.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I just wanted the best for my family. I didn't realize that I was breaking them down in the process," Denise confessed. It was as though a huge weight was being lifted off her shoulders. Years of mistakes were finally being erased and the future was wide open for the Lucas family- to do anything they wanted.

"I know you wanted whats best for them. And you aren't a bad mom. You did a great job raising them- they're all perfect gentlemen."

"I think I was too obsessed with perfection," Denise chuckled. She looked around the room and breathed in a sigh of relief. "There was one more thing I wanted to say," Denise started, her eyes glowing with mischief. She giggled like a little girl and turned Miley towards the front door. "There's actually someone who wants to talk to you." Her hand gripped the doorknob and opened the wooden slab, pushing Miley out into the sunny day.

Miley quickly whipped around- only to find the door closed and bolted shut. She muttered under breath, cursing herself for being taken by surprise. She lifted her head and peered across the street, her eye catching a parked car with a curly head boy sitting on the trunk.

Miley took in a huge breath before walking barefoot across the street. She held in her thoughts. It was now or never and they had a lot to talk about. She approached the back side of the car and stood in front of the man she loved. He patted the space next to her with a toothy grin and she nodded, lifting herself up onto the car.

"So," she started. "We have a lot to talk about." Nick nodded and looked down, trying to find the words that were desperately needed to fill the silence.

"I'm so sorry," Nick said- barely above a whisper. He let out a bitter chuckled and wrapped his arms around his neck. "I was so caught up in my family and pleasing my mom that I let myself go and I let you go," he looked up, realizing Miley was watching every inch of his face.

"Keep going. I didn't tell you to stop," Miley motioned sarcastically, causing Nick to laugh.

"I never wanted to change you, Mi. And I don't want to stop music. After you left, I stood up to everyone and my mom and I finally talked about everything. Mi, you give something that no one else ever has."

"Stop being cliché, Nick," Miley rolled her eyes. She started playing with her fingers as Nick stared at her intently.

"No, I mean it."

"No, you don't," Miley laughed. "Nick, I don't know if I know you anymore. Just the way you acted," she explained in frustration, trying to grasp the right words to convey the situation.

"Miley, that's not me and you know it. The real me is the one that performs. The one that sings "Hello Beautiful" to you on the phone when I haven't seen you in days," he was practically begging her now. He twisted himself towards her and grasped her hand.

"Nick..."

"Mi," he whimpered. "I love you. And from now I on, I promise to be completely honest with and with my family. I love you and I love my music. Those are the two things in my life that I will never give up on."

"How do I know for sure?" She tilted her head down, letting her hair fall across her face. She was trying to hide the fear that Nick didn't have an answer to her question, but she was proven wrong when he tilted her head back up again with his index finger.

"Because," he whispered before pulling into a sweet kiss. He circled his arm around her and pulled her in. They both put in as much passion as they had ever held back from each other and Miley was swept off her feet.

"I'm glad that you're your own person. Because inspire me to be anything I want to be," he breathed in between their kiss. Miley smiled at his answer lifted herself onto his lap before going in for another kiss.

"Wait," Miley giggled, pulling away. He raised his eyebrows and she giggled at her own thoughts. "My parents still have to approve, silly," she nuzzled their noses together and Nick rolled his eyes. He kissed the tip of her nose and stayed silent for a second.

"I love you," they murmured to each other, leaving the rest of the world shameless that no one else could match their passion and love.

**A/N First of all, 30 FREAKING reviews for the last chapter?!?!?!?! You guys are amazing!!!!! So, I want to thank so many people. Okay, here it goes first off my twitter friends =D haha. Jes and Meg (LyricandMelody and KangarooGoBye) , of course. Meg was the first person to read Dollhouse...because I emailed her the first chapter, haha. Hadiy101, you've been a great supporter for me from the very beggining. Ashley (iheartsel) , thanks for reading, you always make me excited to update Jenna (NickhatesLiam) , you've been a huge supporter, too. Monica (shine_a_lite), you review like every chapter- thank you. And many other people, I'm sorry if I forgot you I'm trying to update this fast. All my reviewers, who review every single chapter or even just reviewed once- thank you they completely make my day. Number two, I might doo a prequel or sequel to this story. The prequel would be how the met and that and the sequel..would focus on Billy Ray and his meeeeting of Nick, haha. Or I might just leave this story like this and do nothing at all. Who knows. Just tweet me your thoughts or review me your thoughts whatever you want. And I will be finishing Concert Angel this week. So every day there will be a new update, hopefully. And I still have two pending one shot ideas to write so look out for that. And thank you guys for all the support!!! I hope you loved the story!!!!!**


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